TIME OUT
What is the Flu?
Influenza or the flu is a virus-caused respiratory infection. You get it when flu viruses enter your body through your nose and mouth. So somebody coughing or sneezing near you is a common way you get the flu. It’s also why you should always cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze.
Because flu viruses change every year, researchers worldwide monitor the 3 or 4 flus most likely to infect the most people. The researchers then create a vaccine in anticipation of these flus. It’s important to get the vaccine each fall.
How do you know if you have a flu?
Flu symptoms come on fast. You’ll be going through your day and, suddenly, you’re feeling bad. Very bad. In fact, another sign it’s the flu is that your symptoms are worse than a cold.
What are the symptoms of a flu?
• Fever
• Chills, Cold Sweats, Shivers
• Body Aches
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Sore Throat Pain
Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can happen too; but these symptoms tend to happen to children more than adults.
Is the flu serious?
Usually, the flu goes away on its own after about a week, but the feeling of tiredness can hang around for several weeks. However, the flu can be very serious for newborns, the elderly, and people with certain health conditions. In these cases, you should visit a doctor.
How to ease flu suffering
• Stay at home and rest.
• Drink a lot of water and other liquids.
• Use NeoCitran products to reduce the discomfort of flu symptoms.
• Antiviral medications may help. Contact your physician as soon as you notice the symptoms.
You may want to get up and go to work or school, but it’s smarter not to. if you think you have the flu, do yourself and everybody else a favour and avoid contact with others. You can easily pass a flu to somebody else when you’re sick.
